Oil still



July 31, 1923- F. HEFFLER OIL STILL 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28,

ATTDRN BY IF: HEIFFLER OIL STILL Filed Jan. 28. 1922 ZSheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ATTDRNEV Patented duly 3i, i923.

UltlllTEH PHILIP HEFFLER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB. OFONE-HALF T0 HARRY C. SIMMONS, OF GRAFTGN, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL STILL.

Application filed. January 28, 1922. Serial No. 532,352.

To all whom it vita-y concern.

Be it known that T, PHILIP Hni rLnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented. new and useful Improvements in Oil Stills,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oil stills, and more particularly to an oilstill provided with means for effecting a uniform heating of the stillthroughout its full length.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a still of simpleconstruction and operation which may be erected at comparatively smallcost and in which checkers are employed, these checkers acting to give auniform heat for the length of the tank or container of the still andalso serving to effect saving' in fuel. A. further object is to providesimple and efficient means for controlling the operation of thecheckers. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a central sectional view through a still constructed inaccordance with my invention. the retort or container being shown inelevation;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the still looking down;

Figure 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; a

Figure 41- is a section taken substantially on line i4l of Fig. 1.

A suitable container or tank 1 is supported in the upper portion of acasing 2 of re fractory material which may be constructed in anysuitable or preferred manner, this tank being adapted to receive oilwhich it is desired. to distill. The tank is preferably provided with acovering 3 of heat insulatino' material and is of a known type.

Fmd wall 1 of easing 2 is provided with an opening 5 to admit theproducts of combus tion from a furnace which in practice. is builtclosely adjacent to wall 1, any suitable or preferred type of furnacebeing employed. A roof 6 is supported by wall 41 and a bridge 7 disposedin spaced relation to the wall, the upper face of this roof being flushwith the lower wall of opening 5. A checker 8 is positioned betweenbridge 7 and a bridge 9 extending; across easing; 1. This checker isformed in a known manner of plurality of bricks of refractory materialwhich are stacked in layers, the bricks of alternate layers beingoppositely disposed. hecker 8 is supported upon tiles 10 which aresupported upon walls or pillars 11 which extend longitudinally of easing2 from bridge 7 to bridge 9. A second checker 12 is constructed betweenbridge 9 and the other end wall a of casing 2, this second checker beingsupported upon tiles 13 which are supported by pillars or walls 14supported by a tile partition member 15 which is supported upon theforward portions 11 of pillars or walls 11.

A conduit 16 extends from end wall 1 of casing 2 and may be connected toa stack for discharging the products of combustion flowing from thestill. This conduit is divided by an arch 17, at its inner portion, intoan upper passage 18 communicating with the space beneath checker 12, anda lower passage 19 communicating, by means of the spaces betweensupporting walls or pillars 11, with the space beneath checker 8, itbeing understood that the partition member 15 fits snugly against theinner end of arch 17 so as to prevent communication between passage 19and the space beneath checker 12. A damper shaft 20 extends through arch1? and across the passages 18 and 19. Two dampers 21 and 22 positionedin passages 18 and 19, respectively, are secured on shaft'20, thesedampers being disposed at right angles to each other. When theshaft isin the position illustrated in Figure 1, passage 19 is closed by damper22 and passage 18 is open and in direct communication with conduit 16..Any suitable or preferred means for turni the damper shaft may beemployed, such as an arm 23 secured on the upper end of the shaft andconnected by pin and slot connections 24: to one end of link 25 theother end of which is connected by pin and slotconnections 26 to anangle lever 27 pivoted at 28, the other arm of this lever beingconnected by pin and slot connections 29 to a pull rod 30 by means ofwhich the lever may be rocked for turning the shaft into either of itsoperative positions. To protect the arm 23 and associated parts, asuitable housing or covering 31 be provided. An air fine 32 communicateswith the space beneath the checkor 12, a similar line 33comn'iunicat-ing with container.

the space beneath the checker 8. Each of these fines is provided with adamper 34c of any suitable or preferred type.

In practice, when the still is first placed in operation, dampers 21 and22 are in the positions illustrated in Figure 1. The products ofcombustion from the furnace flowing through opening 5 into casing 2travel the full length of the casing and are drawn downwardly throughchecker 12, flowing through passage 18 into conduit 16. This serves toheat tank or container 1 for the full length thereof. After thisoperation has been continued for a period of approXimately two hours,the bricks of checker 12 have been heated to incandescence and shaft 20is then turned so as to reverse the relative positions of the dampers,passage 18 being closed by damper 21 and passage 19 being placed indirect communication with conduit 16. At this time damper 34 of the flue32, which is initially closed, is opened. This causes the products ofcombustion from the furnace to flow downwardly through checker 8 intothe spaces between pillars or walls 11 and 11 and through passage 19 toconduit 16. This downward flow of the products of combustion throughchecker 8 causes air to be drawn through air flue 32 and upwardlythrough the checker 12, this air being heated to a very high temperatureand thus heating the forward portion of tank or container 1 so as toobtain a uniform temperature throughout the length of the To facilitateflow of the products of combustion through checker 8 the bottom wall ofthe casing between pillars or walls 11 is inclined downwardly toward endwall 4, at 8, a suitable opening being left to admit air from fine 33.hen the checker 8 has been heated to the desired temperature by theproducts of combustion flowing through this checker, shaft 20 is turnedso as to return the dampers 21'and 22 to their initial positions anddamper 34 of air flue 38 is opened, the damper of air flue 32 beingclosed. This causes the products of combustion to flow over checker 8and downwardly through checker 12, air being drawn through line 33 andupwardly through checker 8, this heated air supplementing the heat ofthe products of combustion for pro.

ducing an intense heat beneath the tank or container 1. By reversing theoperation in the manner described the checkers 8 and 12 serve to absorbheat which would otherwise be wasted and also obtain a more uniformheating of the tank or container 1.

As will be understood, it may be found desirable in practice to resortto changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts of theinvention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and Iintend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of theappended claims, in

this application in which a preferred form only of my invention isdisclosed.

that I claim is 1. In an oil still, a casing provided with an openingfor entrance of the products of combustion from a furnace, a containersupported in the casing and above said opening, checkers within thecasing beneath the container, and means for causing the products ofcombustion to flow through either of the checkers, selectively, and forcausing air to flow upwardly through the other checker.

2. In an oil still, a casing provided with an opening for entrance ofthe products of combustion from a furnace, a container supported in thecasing and above said opening, checkers within the casing beneath thecontainer, means for admitting air beneath either of the checkersoptionally, and means for causing the products of combustion to flowthrough either of the checkers, optionally.

3. In an oil still, a casing provided with an opening for entrance ofthe products of combustion from a furnace, a container sup ported in thecasing and above said opening, checkers within the casing beneaththecontainer, separate passages communicating with the spaces beneath therespective checkers, air inlet flues communicating with the spacesbeneath the respective passages, and means for closing either ofsaidpassages, optionally, and opening the other passage.

4. In an oil still, a casing provided with an opening for entrance ofthe products of combustion from a furnace, a container supported in thecasing and above said opening, checkers within the casing beneath thecontainer, separate passages communicating with the spaces beneath therespective checkers, air inlet flues communicating with the spacesbeneath the respective checkers, a damper shaft rotatably mountedthrough said passages, and dampers secured on said shaft and disposed atright angles to each other, said dampers being positioned in therespective passages and adapted to close the same when in operativeposition.

5. In an oil still, a casing provided with an opening for entrance ofthe products of combustion from a furnace, a container supported in thecasing and above said opening, checkers within the casing beneath thecontainer, separate passages communicating with the spaces beneath therespective checkers, means for admitting air to the spaces beneatheither of the checkers optionally, a damper shaft rotatably. mountedthrough said passages, and dampers secured on said shaft and disposed atright angles to each other, said dampers being positioned in therespective passages and adapted to close the same when in operativeposition.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PHILIP HEFFLER.

